risk it all...

I was over at Bonnie Gray's blog today, checking out the collection of posts that have been linked there. She mentioned risk, and it reminded me of a verse I read earlier this week.

By the way, if you're like me and you have a daily planner lying around that you don't use because you're incredibly disorganized...or something like that, because of course you're not disorganized, right? I've found a great use for one. I got a beautiful planner from Fair Trade Friday in one of my monthly packages, and I'm using it as a place to write daily verses. I'm not 100% on top of things so I've got a few blank days, but for the most part I have to tell you--it's a wonderful use of a beautiful product.

Picture from https://www.facebook.com/fairtradefriday/

So, now that that little side trip is done, back to what I was talking about.

Here are the verses I wrote in my planner-turned-scripture journal yesterday:

"If any of you want to walk My path, you're going to have to deny yourself. You'll have to take up your cross every day and follow Me. If you try to avoid danger and risk, then you'll lose everything. If you let go of your life and risk all for My sake, then your life will be rescued, healed, made whole and full. Listen, what good does it do you if you gain everything--if the whole world is in your pocket--but then your own life slips through your fingers and is lost to you?"

~Luke 9:23-25 (VOICE)

Our Christian walk isn't meant to be easy. It's a risky thing to follow Jesus. It requires denying yourself on a daily basis--turning away from your own desires, your own wants, and your own ego. It means risking everything for the sake of gaining eternity.

It means turning away from what the world sees as important and running after God.

That looks different for each person, because we all have a different walk with Christ. For some of us, risk might mean selling everything and setting off to somewhere on the other side of the earth. For others, it may mean taking that new job that would be fulfilling God's purpose but isn't quite as comfortable as the current job. For someone else, that risk could be taking the time to listen to a toddler chat about his day instead of getting that sink of dirty dishes washed.

Whatever the risk, if God is calling you to do something, you need to take that first step of faith out of the boat--even if it means stepping out of safety and into the waves.

Taking the risk will be worth it, because losing yourself for His sake guarantees that your life will be saved, because it will belong to Him.

Take a risk. Move your focus from yourself and your own plans to God and His plans. Stop thinking about what the world sees as successful and important, and turn your attention to what God sees as important.

Take a leap of faith.

The risk will be worth it.